Participatory approaches for sustainable development

Significant shifts in the international economic, social and political agendas have taken place in the last years. Unsolved environmental issues have become targets for policy makers all over the world, as they may threaten the lives of future generations. Deforestation, water depletion and air pollution are examples of controversial problems requiring immediate action. In countries like Peru, the damaging effects of the economic crisis have led the population to exert pressure over natural resources to avoid starvation. Faced by the urgency to develop their economies without losses in their environment, governments are striving for national policies to lessen the impacts of the circle 'poverty-environmental degradation'. In that context, the achievement of a balance among environmental, social and economic concerns, namely sustainable development, is considered difficult to convey despite its general acceptance.